It is long past Christmas and long past my annual viewing of It's A Wonderful Life, yet I still have one thing that just won't stop bugging me...
Later on, George goes to his friend's bar, and likely the only bar in Bedford Falls, Martini's. Mr. Welch happens to sit next to him, realizes who George is and seeks revenge by punching George in the mouth.
He gets kicked out of Martini's with force and Martini vows to never let him in the bar again.
So in a matter of hours, George Bailey ruins a couple's Christmas, making the wife bawl for an hour and reconsider her career choice and preventing the husband from ever entering the town's coolest and most-likely only bar. Is that something a "hero" would do? Come on George Bailey, we can do better than that!
I love the stage direction written in the screenplay: She cannot know that George's tirade against Mrs. Welch is really a tirade against the world, against life itself, against God.
But Mr. and Mrs. Welch didn't know that! They were just yelled at and publicly humiliated! How unfair!
But lucky George gets a Christmas Miracle, witnessing "what the world would be like without him."
He learns his lesson, makes up with his family, saves his job and Clarence gets his wings.
What a win for the Bailey family right?
But what is going to happen on ZuZu's Back-to-School night?
I didn't hear any apology George Bailey. If someone yelled at me on Christmas Eve, and I had control over their daughter's grade?
Looks like little ZuZu is gettin' an F, Mr. B. Sorry, not sorry.
For a movie that's all about family, friends and second chances- Don't you think we'd get a little closure on that INSANE YELLING from the supposed "Most Loved Guy in Town"? Maybe a little apology?
Maybe a teacher who let a little girl go outside with her coat unbuttoned doesn't deserve an apology.
Maybe no one cares about the Welch's because Jimmy Stewart is so good-looking.
Maybe after the holidays, Mary scheduled a Parent-Teacher conference for just George and Mrs.Welch. It seems like something Mary would do - Sweet, Loving, a little micro-managing but mainly sweet and loving.
Maybe the next night, Mr. and Mrs. Welch stood at the bridge and considered taking their own lives but an angel came down from heaven and showed them what the world would be like without them.
(It's A Wonderful Life II possibly...)
Anyway, I will apologize to Mrs. Welch on Mr. Bailey's behalf. I didn't forget you! And give him a break, what do think he is, a dictionary?
Thank you Frank Capra II for making such a beautiful movie
Whatever happened to Mr. and Mrs.Welch?
We first meet (the voice of) Mrs. Welch on Christmas Eve during the collapse of George Bailey's terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. He returns home from work, upsets his entire family and insults a school teacher, bringing her to tears. Not typical of most movie heros, but hey, we sympathize with him because he was never able to fulfill his dreams of traveling the world on a cattle boat, and eat coconuts in Hawaii.
The dialogue of this scene makes me laugh/cry in a the most terrible/incredible way.
MARY
(worried) Oh George, What happened?
GEORGE
Everything's happened! You call this a happy
family? Why did we have to have all these kids?
PETE
Daddy, how do you spell "frankincense"?
GEORGE
shouts) I don't know how you--! Why don't you ask your mother?!
[Later on: PHONE RINGS ... MARY PICKS UP]
MARY
Oh, thank you, Mrs. Welch. I'm sure she'll be all right. The doctor says that she ought to be out of bed in time to have her Christmas dinner. GEORGE Is that Zuzu's teacher? MARY (hand over receiver) Yes. GEORGE Let me speak to her. He snatches the phone from Mary. GEORGE (cont'd) (on phone) Hello. Hello, Mrs. Welch? This is George Bailey. I'm Zuzu's father. Say, what kind of a teacher are you anyway? What do you mean sending her home like that, half-naked? Do you realize she'll
probably end up with pneumonia on account of you? MARY (shocked) George! She puts a restraining hand on his arm. He shakes it off. She cannot know that George's tirade against Mrs. Welch is really a tirade against the world, against life itself, against God. Over the phone we hear Mrs. Welch's voice sputtering with protest. GEORGE Is this the sort of thing we pay taxes for –– to have teachers like you? Silly, stupid, careless people who send our kids home without any clothes on? You know, maybe my kids aren't the best-dressed kids; maybe they don't have any decent clothes . . .
The telephone is suddenly alive with a powerful male voice calling MR. WELCH'S VOICE Now, who do you think you are? GEORGE Hello? Who is this? Oh, Mr. Welch? Okay, that's fine, Mr. Welch. Gives me a chance to tell you what I really think of your wife.
MARY George . . . GEORGE (raving at her) Will you get out and let me handle this? (into phone –– shouting) Hello? Hello? What? Oh, you will, huh? Okay, Mr. Welch, any time you think you're man enough . . . Hello? Any . . .
The phone hangs up. [SOUND: SLAMS PHONE DOWN]
PETE Daddy, how do you spell "Hallelujah"? GEORGE (shouts) How should I know? What do you think I am, a dictionary? Tommy, stop that! Stop it!
(screams) Janie, will you stop playing that lousy piano?! Stop it!
Piano stops. Janie starts crying.
"And the next time you talk to my wife like that you'll get worse. She cried for an hour. It isn't enough she slaves teaching your stupid kids how to read and write, and you have to bawl her out . . ."
He gets kicked out of Martini's with force and Martini vows to never let him in the bar again.
"He don't come in to my place no more."
I love the stage direction written in the screenplay: She cannot know that George's tirade against Mrs. Welch is really a tirade against the world, against life itself, against God.
But Mr. and Mrs. Welch didn't know that! They were just yelled at and publicly humiliated! How unfair!
But lucky George gets a Christmas Miracle, witnessing "what the world would be like without him."
He learns his lesson, makes up with his family, saves his job and Clarence gets his wings.
What a win for the Bailey family right?
But what is going to happen on ZuZu's Back-to-School night?
I didn't hear any apology George Bailey. If someone yelled at me on Christmas Eve, and I had control over their daughter's grade?
Looks like little ZuZu is gettin' an F, Mr. B. Sorry, not sorry.
For a movie that's all about family, friends and second chances- Don't you think we'd get a little closure on that INSANE YELLING from the supposed "Most Loved Guy in Town"? Maybe a little apology?
Maybe a teacher who let a little girl go outside with her coat unbuttoned doesn't deserve an apology.
Maybe no one cares about the Welch's because Jimmy Stewart is so good-looking.
Maybe after the holidays, Mary scheduled a Parent-Teacher conference for just George and Mrs.Welch. It seems like something Mary would do - Sweet, Loving, a little micro-managing but mainly sweet and loving.
Maybe the next night, Mr. and Mrs. Welch stood at the bridge and considered taking their own lives but an angel came down from heaven and showed them what the world would be like without them.
(It's A Wonderful Life II possibly...)
Anyway, I will apologize to Mrs. Welch on Mr. Bailey's behalf. I didn't forget you! And give him a break, what do think he is, a dictionary?
Thank you Frank Capra II for making such a beautiful movie
